"Little Poplar, Little Poplar, stand guard with me at the border, stand guard with me at the border..." The song gradually ceased, but people were still immersed in that beautiful melody.
Two beautiful women responsible for hosting took the stage again, "This little poplar tree will grow stronger day by day, and will surely become greener and more vibrant. Our country will prosper more each day, and the lives of our soldiers will become more fulfilling and joyful."
"Clap, clap, clap!" Applause thundered throughout the entire square.
"Besides our performance team’s soldiers, our Guard’s Wives have also carefully prepared performances for everyone. Next, please enjoy the song brought to you by Comrade Jiang Lianxiang. Let’s welcome her with applause."
When Jiang Lianxiang heard her name called to take the stage, she looked around nervously, "I... I’m going up." It was her first time on stage, her heart thudded like a drum, and her legs trembled uncontrollably.
"Sister-in-law Lianxiang, you can do it! We’ll be cheering for you backstage."
"You are the vanguard of our Guard’s Wives, we are all proud of you."
"Believe in yourself! You are the best!"
Jiang Lianxiang took a deep breath and bit down hard on her teeth, striding toward the stage. She must sing well and absolutely not let the Guard’s Wives down.
Upon taking the stage and seeing the crowd below, Jiang Lianxiang nervously mustered a smile, pumped herself up secretly, and began to sing.
While her voice wasn’t as melodious as the soldiers from the performance team, it had a unique charm that made people feel comfortable listening to it. In the past two days, Wang Fei had given her some guidance, which had significantly improved her singing technique beyond its original level.
"Is that really my wife? How has she become so beautiful?" Zheng Youcai, Jiang Lianxiang’s husband, watched the stage in disbelief. If not for her familiar singing voice and the young hostess announcing his wife’s name, he would have doubted her identity.
"Sister-in-law sings so well! Not a bit inferior to the performance team."
"Yes, it seems the sisters-in-law do have some Talent."
"They’ve prepared two programs this time, I’m starting to look forward to the next one."
"That’s my wife, how great is that!" Zheng Youcai said proudly, listening to the soldiers’ comments.
As the last note ended, Jiang Lianxiang let out a long breath, released her burden, and smiled. She bowed to the audience and walked off stage to resounding applause.
"Was I okay?" Backstage, Jiang Lianxiang looked at Zhang Xiaoling and the others with barely contained excitement.
"More than okay, it was fantastic!"
"Sister-in-law Lianxiang, you sang so well, not a bit worse than the comrades from the performance team."
"Really?" Jiang Lianxiang showed a happy smile.
"Of course, Sister-in-law Lianxiang was so amazing, it’s our turn to perform well now."
"This time, we must show those soldiers in the performance team that we Guard’s Wives are not just good at cooking and taking care of kids."
"Right! Everyone, let’s do our best!" Zhang Xiaoling smiled and stretched out her hand.
Everyone stacked their hands on top of Zhang Xiaoling’s and gripped them tightly together, "Let’s do our best!"
"They seem to be quite confident!" Liu Lina turned her head and sneered.
"All show and no substance!" Meng Qingqing scoffed. Walking the runway isn’t for everyone, and the key point is temperament, something those Guard’s Wives were severely lacking.
"I tried just now, walking the catwalk without basic skills is impossible, it’s very likely to be clumsy, and those Guard’s Wives are wearing high heels, which are not something that just anyone can handle," said Wang Lili, eyeing the high heels on Zhang Xiaoling and the others with a hint of envy.
Lin Yiping nodded in agreement, "The last time I went to Friendship Mall, I tried on a pair of high heels and almost fell, not to mention they were not as high as the ones they’re wearing." But wearing high heels did indeed look very nice.
"It’s my turn to go on stage, and I will show those Guard’s Wives what a real performance is." Hearing her name announced for the upcoming program, Meng Qingqing smiled confidently and walked towards the stage.
As the music started, Meng Qingqing with her full head of white hair and ragged clothes, danced lightly on the stage with agile steps. Her smiling face shone like the morning sun, merging with her dance moves.
This dance symbolized the transition from the old society to the new one. Finally breaking through the darkness of dawn to see the morning sun signifies rebirth. Meng Qingqing’s dance vividly portrayed all of this.
"She’s really quite good," Liu Mengyao felt moved by Meng Qingqing’s dance. Meng Qingqing conveyed the sensation of rebirth so fully in her dance that it brought viewers joy intermingled with an inexplicable sense of sadness.
"That’s Meng Qingqing, she has a lot of talent in dancing, a pillar of the 372 Performance Team," said Wang Fei. Being born into a family of Guard Members, she knew a thing or two about the Guard.
"She’s a formidable opponent!" Zhang Qi watched Meng Qingqing on the stage. Even though she didn’t like watching dances, she was captivated by the other’s performance, and the soldiers must be the same.
"I still prefer to watch Sister Xiao Ling and their fashion show," Chen Xiaomeng said, unsatisfied. She had watched Zhang Xiaoling and the others walk several times already, but she still felt it wasn’t enough.
With Meng Qingqing’s graceful final pose, the venue erupted into fervent applause; had it not been an open square, the loud clapping could have flipped a roof.
The two beautiful hosts came back on stage, "Such a mesmerizing dance, truly heart-stirring and still leaves us craving more! But next, we will see an even more spectacular program."
"This program is a fashion show meticulously prepared by our Guard’s Wives for everyone. It will provide a visual feast, so let’s welcome our Guard’s Wives on stage with applause."